Deacon’s Corner
Looking at the liturgical calendar for June, we are blessed with a month that is jam packed with many early summer solemnities and memorials. I hope you can spend some time each of these days in prayer, to celebrate and learn a little about the lives of many great saints in our Church.
It begins on June 1st and concludes on the 29th. Checkout this list!
Saturday, June 1 - Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr
Sunday, June 2 - The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ — Corpus Christi
Monday, June 3 - Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs
Wednesday, June 5 - Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
Friday, June 7 - Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Saturday, June 8 - Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Tuesday, June 11 - Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle
Thursday, June 13 - Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Friday, June 21 - Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious
Monday, June 24 - Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Friday, June 28 - Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr
Saturday, June 29 - Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
As encompassing as this list is, it doesn’t include the day I would like to focus on, June 16th, Father’s Day.
This day is set aside for us to honor the fathers in this country, not because it is a holiday, not because it is a tradition, not because there are sales going on all over the country, but because, God said so!
In fact, He said so very specifically. In the letter to the Ephesians Chapter 6:1-3, we hear Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” - which is the first commandment with a promise - “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Notice that it doesn’t say honor only good dads and moms. It doesn’t say honor them if you like them. It doesn’t say honor only the right ones. It says, “Honor your father and mother.” So, on this day, we honor ALL fathers.
Happy Father’s Day to all fathers out there!
Father’s Day is also a day to remember, acknowledge and appreciate the “World’s Greatest Dad,” OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. It is God who is our Spiritual Father, actively involved in all areas of our lives.
I want to take this opportunity to speak directly to the men today.
We are involved in a war today, and the battleground is not in Ukraine or our southern border, although both are very contentious. The battleground is in our homes, what is at stake is not our land, our property, or our freedoms. It is more important than that. What is at stake are our children and families. Believe me — it is a “Spiritual War”, and in this country, and the world, we are losing the battle. Children are turning from the faith and denying God in record numbers.
Our youth are growing up with “Satan at their fingertips,” on their cell phones and tablets, through the internet. In its beginning, the internet was a fast and great resource for information. I believe today, through the internet, evil is being unleashed on our youth, ourselves and the world, to deny Christianity and virtuous and moral values. Today, Satan is using ALL of the social media apps to distract and occupy our youth and fill their minds with hours and hours of senseless and useless data. Our youth are being distracted and attacked with sexualized and perverted content. They are being indoctrinated with desires for all the lusts of the world, often at the early ages of 4, 5 and 6 year olds!
St. Peter warned us, be sober and vigilant. Your opponent, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Our children are easy prey!
There can be no denying that something is desperately wrong in the world. I believe one key reason there is chaos and suffering, is that men and women have lost sight of their God-given purpose, of men to be sacrificial fathers, men who are protectors and providers for their families, who lead their families to God. This loss of the vision of heroic fatherhood is everywhere, in homes without fathers, in homes with distracted dads, in homes that do not acknowledge God, and even homes that are blessed to be Catholic.
God proves His love for us by sacrificing His only Son, Jesus!
Fathers are called to be Christ-like, dads are to sacrifice their desires and wants for the love of their children and families.
Let us pray for the conversion of our hearts, through the power of Sacred Scripture and the Holy Sacraments so we may be transformed to be like Christ!
Let me leave you with a couple encouraging short stories that contain a few words of wisdom.
Venerable Fulton Sheen offered these thoughts about our children’s desire and instinct for the Divine.
He said, to young children, fathers are almost omnipotent and omniscient. Dads are super strong and smart, towering icons of a supreme power.
Mothers, too, are like superheroes and are viewed as icons of ultimate mercy — always forgiving, always ready to nurse a scraped knee, always ready to hold a child tight.
Mom and dad represent spiritual qualities such as “Justice and Mercy” in a way that forever enlightens their children’s view of the universe, and the sort of God that created it.
When parents display these virtues with their children, they nurture their natural instinct, to practice those same virtues.”
Sheen continued by saying, “we can’t simply tell our kids about God, or send them to Church and hope some holiness rubs off on them. We are actually the living examples of those qualities in our homes.
There’s no shortcut or secret method to parenting, but developing the natural instincts of our children, in the long run, is the best way to foster both a good loving home environment and to help prepare them for happy lives.”
John Wooden, head coach at UCLA won ten NCAA basketball championships in a 12-year period. In his memoirs, A Lifetime of Reflections On and Off the Court, he writes, The best thing a father can do for his children, is to love their mother.” I think he is right.
He said, “Dads, it goes without saying that your kids need and deserve your love, but if you’re married, your wife comes first.
Now there are times when a child’s immediate needs might come first, momentarily, but ultimately the marriage bond has to be paramount. Your marriage comes first. Then your kids.
When kids are the center of “your” universe, they grow up thinking “they are” the center “of the universe.
But kids who grow up watching their dad, model and express true love for their mom, will learn the right way to love, and be loved.”
Dads, our children are sponges, they are observing our every move!
Dads and all fathers, let’s pray that we can live our lives so that they give glory and honor to God, Our Heavenly Father!
Lastly, on this Father’s Day, please remember to pray for our priests, Fr. Mark and Fr. Matthew, through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, these men are called to be “fathers” to our large parish family.
Jesus, Do in Us What You Must, So as To Do Through Us, What You Will!
See you at the next Mass!
Deacon Matt Martel